You might be surprised to learn that for as durable and reliable as they are, there’s actually a lot that can go into using pallet racks in your warehouse.

Effective usage is one thing, as pallet racks are versatile enough that you can use them to solve a number of different storage problems with careful (and clever) use of the space they provide, but there’s also a number of safety concerns that come along with their use to make sure your staff and products are kept safe from accident. If you’re looking to get the most from your pallet racks while increasing safety practices through your entire warehouse, we’ve got some information here to get you started:

Make sure to use the right size pallet rack. Whether you’re buying new or used pallet racks, the first step to using them correctly is to know how much space you have to work with and what size pallet rack you need. There’s three main components that need to be measured when selecting a pallet rack:

• Upright frame size, which is measured by height, depth, and column size
• Cross beams, which are measured in the distance between frames
• Wire decking, which is measured in depth x width

Understanding these sizes and how they can be used is the first step towards finding the right pallet rack for your warehouse – and that’s the first step towards making sure it’s used effectively.

Understand how your racks will be used. This might sound a little obvious, but the configuration and size of the pallet rack you should be using will largely depend on the sort of role they’re fulfilling in your warehouse. Are you using them for a FIFO (first-in-first-out) picking system to help distribute products more easily? Are they going to be used for long-term product storage? How many items are going to be stored on each rack? Make sure each of your racks are given a specific task and this will help you better understand how to use each of them.

Be aware of the limits of your equipment – and make sure your workers are, too. Pallet racks are pretty strong, but everything has a limit as to what it can hold – and if these limits are exceeded it can put your staff in serious danger. Keep careful documentation of each rack’s load capacity and make sure it’s visible and accessible to everyone in the warehouse, and then make sure to train your workers to be aware of things like beam capacity and weight limits to make sure nobody is hurt and nothing is damaged.

Practice proper loading methods. Proper (and safe) loading of pallet racks will help twofold: it will both increase the amount of usable space by making sure everything is being stored correctly on the rack, and will help your workers avoid strain or injury. Keep your employees familiar with proper lifting methods, proper product organization, and proper usage of machinery like forklifts to keep your pallet racks correctly used – and your workers safe.